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2012 Marin Designers Showcase in Belvedere

Written by Claudia Juestel / Photography by MO DeLONG for Marin Magazine, unless otherwise noted / Published 26 February 2012

View from living room by Tucker & Marks (Photo: Matthew Millman)

After looking at over 50 homes the board of the Marin Designers Showcase finally settled on a grand newly built waterfront home on Belvedere island for its 41st annual fundraiser, which benefits the Center for Volunteer Nonprofit Leadership of Marin. The 14,000 square-foot tri-level contemporary “Villa Belvedere” was developed by Jeff Paster and designed by Sandy Walker of the San Francisco architectural firm Walker & Moody. It is perfectly positioned on a cliff to capture sweeping views extending all the way from Treasure Island to the Sausalito.

Almost every room in the house takes advantage of the spectacular views, and only one of the seven bedrooms faces the beautiful garden, which centers around a 50-foot Bisazza glass-tiled pool and spa, anchored along the back by a wall fountain that becomes a vertical focal point against the steep hillside. Stephen Suzman designed the landscaping with a palette evocative of plants in neighboring gardens and an emphasis on foliage rather than flowers. They become intriguing sculptural elements in the evening, influenced by the ever-changing color of the pool, which glows from within with LED lights.

Katherine Hill decorated the swim terrace and cabana, complete with two dressing rooms, WC and shower in shades of coral, blue and cream.

Sonja Jacobs-Burkin and Mark Manning

Twenty two design firms from around the Bay Area were invited to complete the interior designed for entertaining hundreds of guests while still offering comfortable and livable scale. This was put to the test during the sold-out opening night gala when 500 guests toured the home with ease.

Designers, supporters and admirers crossed four bridges and braved shuttle busses up the narrow Belvedere roads to reach this exclusive residence. Among them were Joel Goodrich, Levon Sarkissian, Angela and Thomas Chen, Didier Perez, international art advisor Holly Baxter, fashion designer Una Malan and photographer Marlene Blum, both in from Los Angeles for the occasion, as well as interior designers Ruth Livingston, Matthew MacCaul Turner, Lawanna Endonino, Jona Collins, and Julie Exley.

David Grega and Alexandra Ray

Stephen Suzman, Jeff Paster, Ruth Livingston

Linda Davis and Olivia Hsu Decker

They all got a first-hand view of the painstaking work the developer, architect and interior designers have put into this project, which did not go off without a hitch. Construction delays postponed the opening gala originally scheduled for New Year’s Eve. But no fireworks were necessary to impress the guests on this crisp and clear winter night.

Living room designed by Tucker & Marks (Photo: Matthew Millman)

View from living room designed by Tucker & Marks (Photo: Matthew Millman)

The large-scale living room with its soaring ceilings and the and the adjacent study were designed by Tucker & Marks who combined a stunning blend of traditional and modern elements. Suzanne Tucker and her team pictured an iconoclast who seeks a balance in life, career and personal fulfillment as the client to conceive stylish yet informal spaces that took inspirations from such diverse elements as the homes of Yves Saint Laurent and the natural surroundings. Most designers know that starting with “good bones” is everything, and Suzanne, who expressed that she really felt both the location and architecture, once told me about the high standards she has when picking a room for a showcase. Her expert execution is a clear compliment to the architect and developer.

Honey and Stephen Schwartz, Suzanne Tucker, Carol Solomon

Rissa Watson, Tom Ryan, Amanda Ahlgren

Study designed by Tucker & Marks (Photo: Matthew Millman)

One of my other favorite rooms was the dining room by Candace Barnes who drew inspiration from the Bay and its connections to the rest of the world through the sea trade. She highlighted classical, mid-century and contemporary designs with Middle Eastern accents and contemporary art in colors and finishes reminiscent of the sun shimmering on the Bay.

Dining room by Candace Barnes (Photo: Matt McCourtney)

Dining room by Candace Barnes (Photo: Matt McCourtney)

Angela and Thomas Chen, Candace Barnes

Kriste and Dan Michelini

The master bedroom by Gioi Tran of Applegate Tran was bathed in shades of grays, cream and aubergine, accented with warm woods. A number of pieces were custom-designed by Gioi. In a very tactile approach he emphasized texture and feel, which can be best appreciated in person. Everything provoked an invitation to be touched, from the lacquer finish on the console and the cool metal on the side tables to the heavy wool felt on the drapery, and luscious cashmere, alpaca and faux Persian lamb on the bed. Even the cottony felt balls on the wall called out to me temptingly.

With the Bay beyond the French doors of one of the guest suites Sacramento designer and popular blogger Katie Denham could also not avoid creatively submitting to the magic of the waters. Her design evoked a traditional nautical feel with slight ethnic touches. Warm mahogany and leather, cool steel, nickel and aluminum were accentuated with navy and red in her “modern stateroom”. Intriguing artistic touches were provided by Stuart Allen’s wall sculpture of sails, a bespoke accent table by Paul Benson and a large scale sepia-toned photograph by James Bleecker. Now that would be the room to watch the America’s Cup Race from!

Guest suite by Katie Denham (Photo: Peter Medilek)

Desk area in guest suite by Katie Denham (Photo: Peter Medilek)

Located on 1.14 prime waterfront acres this spectacular property is listed by Olivia Hsu Decker. In addition to a living room, office, 7 bedrooms, and 8 full plus 2 half baths “Villa Belvedere” also boasts a temperature-controlled wine cellar, a home theater, a private health club with sauna, a pool and spa with cabana, and over 6,000 square feet of terraces. One of Marin’s most remarkable new homes could be yours for $45,000,000.00. If your main residence happens to be overseas you still have full control of the entire home from your iPad or iPhone anywhere in the world via a Savant automated system. Now this is a home and technology designed for a cosmopolitan lifestyle!